Fruit-grader.



O. WATSON.

FRUIT GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1912.

. 1,030,552. Patented June 25, 1912.

CHARLES WATSON, OF GLEN HUON, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA.

FRUIT-GRADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1912.

Application filed March 8, 1912. Serial No. 682,5 21.

To all whom 'it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES VVArsoN, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing in Glen Huon, Tasmania, Australia, have inventedcertainnew and useful Improvements in Fruit-Graders, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fruit grading machines andmore particularly to those machines wherein apples and the like aregraded.

The apparatus consists of a large open cylinder that is rotated by anyconvenient means, and in which are a number of perforations spirallyarranged and graduatingin size, and internal spiral avenues whichinclude such perforations. A suitable chute or feeding device isemployed to convey the fruit to be graded into the cylinder throughwhich it will move along the spiral avenues as the cylinder is rotated.The holes or perforations increase in diameter toward the lower end ofthe machine and spherical fruit such as apples will, in passing throughthe cylinder, eventually reach an opening large enough to permit thepiece to fall through it onto a canvas chute or conveyer below thecylinder, which will carry the fruit clear of the machine. But in orderto thoroughly understand my invention reference is made to theaccompanyin drawing, in which Figure l is a si e elevation of themachine. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same, andFig. 3 a plan, the cylinder having been removed.

A suitable frame 4 supports the carrying rollers 5, 5, upon which thecylinder 6 rests. Lying parallel with one of the rollers 5 is anotherroller 7 that is in brushing contact with the cylinder, and parallelwith that roller again is a third roller 8, which is rotated by means ofa crank handle 9 or other equivalent means. All three rollers are gearedup through spur wheels 10, and roller 7 may consist of a brush rotatingagainst the cylinder. 7

Spirally arranged in the cylinder 6 are perforations 11 which begin atthe head of the machine near the chute 12 and gradually increase in sizeuntil the largest is near the end of the cylinder. Running parallelwith.

the spirally arranged holes are smaller perforations 13 in which cord,twine or other suitable material is threaded as shown in Fig. 2. If acord 14. is passed through the cylinder diametrically and then through ahole therem, then over the cylinder and backward through the next hole,through the hole on the other side diametrically option, inunderstanding the construction of the said avenue, of which there may befive or six or any number according to the diameter of the cylinder andthe class of fruit to be graded therein. Having completed one avenue,another is started in the same way from the head of the cylinder andcarried right through the same.

The perforations 11 are so disposed in the cylinder relatively to thechute or conveyers 15 below, that fruit of a uniform size will fallthrough onto one of the chutes, the smallest onto the first, and so onuntil the largest size is received by the last chute. There may be anynumber of conveyers 15 according to the grading in the cylinder.

Referring more particularly to the chutes 15 these are composed ofcanvas or like material and rest upon a central support 16 runninglongitudinally in the machine, while the outer edges of the canvas areheld on other supports 17 parallel with, but lower than 16. At intervalsin the canvas are transverse ribs or ridges 18 which mark the chutes theone from the other and in the belly of each sheet I make an incision 19.An apple or other piece of fruit falling through into a chute from thecylinder will therefore roll down the canvas and through the incision 19to delivery into any suitable receptacle provided for the purpose.

The cylinder 6 merely lies upon the rollers 5, 5, and need have nospindle or other like fittings. It is rotated by frictional contact withthe rollers 5 one of which imparts its motion thereto. The cylinder asshown in Fig. 1 should move from right to left. The avenues in thecylinder may be covered with felt or other like shock minimizingsubstance and the perforations 11 are slightly chamfered to remove thesharp edges from the holes. Should an apple or other piece of fruitbecome jammed in a hole it will be promptly met, as the cylinderrotates, by the roller 7, which it barely touches, or other like meansin the frame, and by such means will be pushed back into its avenue orrace to be carried along therein until it arrives at a hole large enoughto take it.

In operation, a supply of mixed fruit is placed in the chute 12 downwhich it will gravitate into the open end of the cylinder 6 where itwill be taken into the spiral avenues and as the cylinder rot-ates, beconducted therealong. On the way through the avenues, in the floor ofwhich are the graduated perforations 11, the smaller pieces will firstfall through onto the conveyers 15, until at the end of the cylinderonly the largest pieces remain. If there are no perforatlons largeenough to accommodate such fruit provision may be made whereby it willfall out of the end of the cylinder into a suitable receptacle.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my'saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is In a machine of the kind described, an open rotatingcylinder in which rows of perforations are spirally arranged andgraduated in size, said cylinder having smaller perforations locatedbetween the first mentioned graduated perforations, and cords woventhrough said smaller perforations and extending diametrically throughsaid cylinder.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of tWosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES WATSON.

Witnesses:

W. F. DARLING, F. H. E. HEWITT.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Barents,

Washington, D. G.

